Friday, January 28, 2011

Full of Grace

Baby Lenin returns home after being confined in the hospital. He stayed for four days, and the round the clock vigil had robbed his parents of sleep. His urine samples showed infection. Someone was careless to let piss and feces collect in his diapers. On his first night, the baby's fever soared to 41 centigrade. The news worried the matriarch so bad, she asked me to inform the favorite aunt of Lenin's condition. Despite the risk of breaking her no-call-beyond-nine policy, I dialed her landline to seek consolation. We thought the situation called for urgency, but our panic had only earned her ire.

Nevertheless, the doctors-on-duty got some scolding from their esteemed professor. (who is also the favorite aunt) We were told that they assembled around Baby Lenin that night to personally attend to his condition. The fever disappeared after an hour and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Antibiotics was pumped into the poor infant's bloodstream the next morning. The favorite aunt wasn't satisfied. She recommended a complete ultrasound of Lenin's internal organs. Her prognostication terrified us all. What if it turns out to be a birth defect? How could we accept such tragic revelation? Prayers were offered to assure a worried family. Fortunately the findings were normal. Higher dosages were eventually required to speed up his recovery. The in-laws came to visit. My mom, in her frail state was present at the hospital every night. Her dedication unfaltering, the toll on her health concerns us all.

Now that the ordeal is over, let me confess a revelation I never shared at home. A day before fever struck my poor nephew, I had a bad dream about another aunt. I remember her sobbing over something which wasn't revealed at the start. I had to look closer to find the cause of her tears. To my horror I saw a small white coffin before the scene faded to black. I didn't pay attention to that dream until I heard my nephew's shrill inside the ER.

Mom stops at the man-sized statue of the blessed mother before leaving the hospital

as she lets her intentions known

I could only whisper my prayers begging the heavens not for my dream to come true.

19 comments:

finally! some good news (as i was dealing with all bad news of the country everyday...non-stop). ..i was teary eyed coz months ago, my niece was in a slightly same condition(being sicked) which ended in me threatening to expose the hospital in media for a minor mistake of a nurse (OA). iba kasi talaga pag baby/bata eh. ..thank god indeed!

Dreams of death are usually portents of transitions. Death in a dream means a change or an upcoming change in a person's life. However, the projected person who is deceased usually represents the aspect of the life in turmoil, that maybe coming to a dissolution, and not an indication of a literal death.

Since the dead in the dream was that of a baby, it represents the "death" or passing over of the youth in you, sort of losing one's innocence. This may not necessarily mean you lose the idealism of youth per se, but could also represent the gaining of a more mature/ grounded/ assertive perspective on life, and how you handle responsibilities and goals.

I wish you well, my friend. Thank God baby Lenin is now fine, and that your mother was able to cope with it. I worry about you though, you need to take care of yourself too. Of course, Babaa takes care of you, but besides that, be mindful of your own state. You can't be there for everyone all the time.

Lenin is a gift to your family. He brings you all together, despite contrarian beliefs and disparities in outlooks. :)

dreams could be really freaky at times. logic keeps us from believing in such 'omens' but it's hard especially if it involves someone you really care about. before my grandma died, i dreamed of her, lying on top of an unfinished building...

"Since the dead in the dream was that of a baby, it represents the "death" or passing over of the youth in you, sort of losing one's innocence. This may not necessarily mean you lose the idealism of youth per se, but could also represent the gaining of a more mature/ grounded/ assertive perspective on life, and how you handle responsibilities and goals.

I wish you well, my friend. Thank God baby Lenin is now fine, and that your mother was able to cope with it. I worry about you though, you need to take care of yourself too. Of course, Babaa takes care of you, but besides that, be mindful of your own state. You can't be there for everyone all the time."

With the way the transition is going, I think you are right. My new position requires me to deal with people, boldly and maturely.

Hope the dust settles soon. Sometimes in the confusion, I cannot even think or discern think like I used to.